Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-05-20
WILDCAT HUNTING.
One Of the Fa,orit- sports Of the Dwell.
ers In Lave California.

One of the Tayorit@ sports Of the Dwell.
ers In Low er California.
.'There she ISL
.'Don't fire.
give the dogs a chance,"
They and many other disconnected
sentences came from a crowd al ladies
and gentlemen who. well mounted and
close upon a pack Of eager hounds, were
pushing into n thick patch of under
brush in the center Of the Arroyo Seco, a
dry canon or river just hack OF PaSsa-
dena. Cal.
Here the gulch was well filled with tall
trees from whose branches there fell in
rich festoons masses Of Wild grape and
clematis that formed ropes that deity
caught riders beneath the chin, and so
tied up the dogs that they often became
fouled and yelped and howled in impo-
tent rage. The party had started half a
mile below in the clearing and had fol-
lowed up the eager dogs that had now
freed game of some kind. and, as they
gathered about the broken poplar high
up in one Of the branches, there appeared
q long. 1.-the body clinging to the limb,
while over the side peered the ugly face
of the wildcat. Excitement hal hen at
fever pitch when the hounds struck the
trail, but now that the animal was in
full view, ii fairly boiled over. even the
horses appearing 10 he carried away
by it.
''Stand back. ladieS.'' shouted the
master Of the hounds, who carried a
hight rifle. sometimes a cat will jump
for her life, and they will scratch when
they land
\ The ladies fell back a little, and a
youngster in the party volunteered to
climb the tree and dislodge the common
enemy. Handing the bride Of his horse
to a rider, he seized the pendent grape
vine and swung up into the tree, and a
few moments later was making his way
along the branch toward the crouching
cat. She was so intently engaged in
looking at the dogs that at first she did
not see linn, but when he rounded the
trunk she suddenly caught sight of the
new enemy, drew hck with n quick
growl, glanced this way and that. as if
measuring the char ces, and. perhaps,
would have jumpei. when the climber
deity strsck her firm behind and down
she went, with q 81 of rage into the
red mouths below. The blood and fur
few, for puss was game. and not a few
good dogs hacked out, wiping their heads
and ragged ears. But he game was up.
and il was with great difficulty that the
skin was saved for the rug which is the
trophy of the wildcat hunt.
Hunting this short tailed feline is a
feature of southern California mi door
sports. The deep mons that radiate
down from the Sierra Madres form their
retreat and that Of large game in general.
After o rain the hunts are organized, and
then the paw marks are distinctly seen
and the scent fresh. and. as the storm
clouds blow away from the mountain
siues and the warm sun comes out the
bay of the hounds Of some sportsman is
nearly always heard. The wildcat Of
tbs country is a large, powerful animal,
approaching the lynx. also found here. in
size and general appearance, and large
enough TO inflict dangerous wounds upon
man OF beast.
On occasion the hounds came upon
a fresh scent IN an extremely narrow
place in the canon. where precipltous
rocks rose on n slde and heavy brush
on the other. The dogs rushed into the
latter. and a moment later a large cat
bounded into tie narrow stream and
began an Intellectual scramble up the
rocky sides. A bullet caught her before
h had gone thirty feet, and. turning
with a snarl of rage. she leaped directly
into h arr fell upon the neck OF a